Overview of the Kardashev Scale
Type I: A civilization that can harness and use all the energy available on its planet (approximately 10^16 to 10^17 watts). This includes solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, and other planetary energy sources.
Type II: A civilization that can harness and control the total energy output of its star (approximately 10^26 watts), potentially through structures like a Dyson Sphere or Swarm.
Type III: A civilization that can harness the energy of an entire galaxy (approximately 10^36 watts), utilizing the output of billions of stars and other galactic resources.
Beyond Type III: Hypothetical Type IV and V civilizations might control energy on the scale of multiple galaxies, universal structures, or even manipulate the fundamental laws of physics.